The 33-year-old was a child soldier at the age six before being smuggled out of his hometown of Sudan. He found refuge in Australia and it is in this country where he has been named ‘Person of the Year’

Deng – who is from the Dinka Tribe – was overcome with emotion after he received the top honor from the New South Wales premier, Mike Baird, at a ceremony in Sydney.

“I never dreamed of anything,” he said. “Even [being] a fisherman,” Deng said.

“I’d like to be working with kids in jail to help them transition into the workforce. I’ll make sure I work with schools.’

Deng hopes to achieve all this whilst studying for a second master’s degree and running AC Law Group. He created the firm to fight for members of the Sudanese community from his home in Blacktown in Sydney’s west.

“One day I’ll be able to visit every single school in Australia and be able to tell my story,” Deng says passionately.